YA Book Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Release Date: 27 December 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

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Goodreads description:

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it?

My Thoughts...

I absolutely fell in LOVE with this book.  I was a bit apprehensive going into this one because, honestly, I wasn't 100% sure that I was going to like it and I'm not sure what impulse I was following when I pre-ordered it (honestly? I probably wanted free shipping.).  Anyway, now that I've read it, I'm really glad that I did buy this one because I loved the writing and the story and the verse format actually makes it really easy to go back and enjoy favorite moments and verses.

Even if the story was cute and the protagonist completely relateable, the beautiful words in this book would have captured and held my attention all the way from page one to page four hundred and thirty-two.  Like I said at the beginning, I was unsure about the verse format but in the end it is my absolute favorite thing about this story.  The diary format gives a lot of depth of emotion to Marcie's character and makes it easy to relate to her situation, her feelings, and her confusion.

Marcie was a character who felt entirely real to me and even if (when) her actions were wrong, I understood why she was doing it and I think that many readers will relate to her struggles. She was a very three-dimensional character for me. I felt like I knew her on much more than just a surface level. The poetry reveals a lot about her inner thoughts and feelings and says a lot about her personality.

This was such a quick read that I can't NOT recommend that you read it.  The language is beautiful.  The characters are perfectly flawed and very real.  The story itself could happen to anyone. It's absolutely fabulous--be sure to check it out. :)